From the Mouth of a Dovahkiin
by Glarien13
Summary: A chance to get into the mind of the silent protagonist, to see what she's really thinking. Maybe she doesn't want this hero stuff after all. T to be safe, it might change to M later on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I got tired and bored one night, and then this little gem came to me. Sorry if the dialogue from the game doesn't completely match up , I'm trying to make it a little different (and I can't remember all of it). I think I'll just do organization quests (Companions and so on), Daedric, the DLC, and the main quest. If there's one you'd like to see though, feel free to tell me. Also, there probably won't be any marriages or things like that, I think the Dovahkiin should stay single. Anyways, enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy. :3**

Chapter 1- The Beginning of an Era

"I'm going to die," I thought over the cart's rattling as it trundled down the cobble road. I may have seemed too calm about the situation, but in truth I was afraid. I didn't show it, unlike the thief who shared the cart with me. He was pleading with the guards, begging them to let him go. I scoffed under my breath, disliking the man already. I looked around in my limited field of vision, attempting to drown out the pitiful bleating of the coward. There was a blonde Nord facing us, his face just as relaxed and blank as mine, despite the situation we were in.

I watched the trees go by slowly, snow on their branches despite the season. My gaze snapped downward when I heard the name Ulfric Stormcloak. I looked at the man across from me, and back to the thief. In my native country of Cyrodiil, Ulfric was hated and despised for opposing the Imperial army and the Aldmeri Dominion. I had always felt indifferent to the struggles of Skyrim to the North, but couldn't help feeling pity for the oppressed Nords living there. That is, until they arrested me for supposed treason. I heard the guards driving the horses tell the thief to shut up, and for a few moments we rode in blissful silence.

We reached a town , and as we passed by a house I heard a young child asking his mother about us. She hushed him and brought him inside, while I simply gazed ahead at what was to soon be our execution grounds. There was a tall watchtower on the left of us as we turned into the courtyard. Another identical tower sat to our right. The cart came to a halt suddenly, and I felt the thief's shoulder jostle against mine. Ulfric had remained silent throughout the whole time, and I felt a small measure of respect for him. More than for the lickspittle who sat beside me. He had resumed his blubbering, and as we were instructed to stand and get out of the cart he started yelling about how it was a mistake, that he didn't want to die. I rolled my eyes in disgust, Ulfric standing impassively next to me. The soldiers were Imperial, though that gave me small comfort. I knew how ruthless they were, and that they wouldn't spare even one of their own.

"This is Helgen, the place where you will die." The commanding officer gave me a cold look, and spoke to the pair of guards standing behind us.

"She's not on the list. Who is she?" They stammered to answer, but she cut them off. "You," she pointed to me, "come forward. What is your name?" I took a few steps towards her and gathered my courage, the chains on my wrists and legs clanging as I moved. I could not appear weak, not in front of Ulfric or the guards.

"Gwen, of Cyrodiil," I answered clearly, my voice hardly shaking. She nodded curtly, motioning for Ulfric to come forward.

"Ulfric Storm-" She was cut off by the thief, who had gone into a fit of hysteria. He screamed something unintelligible and took off running, his chains slowing him only slightly. The commander turned her back to us and raised a hand, two men sinking down to one knee.

"Archers, fire!" Scarcely had the words left her lips when the twang of bowstrings sounded, followed by the man falling face first onto the ground. A soldier dragged him away, and the officer faced us again, her features hard and unyielding under her helmet.

"Anyone else feel like running?" She questioned softly. I kept my eyes facing forward as she called for Ulfric to be brought to the place of execution. He was grabbed by the elbow and led to the wooden stump. I couldn't help but look as they forced him to his knees, roughly shoving the side of his face onto the block. A distant roar interrupted the swing of the axe, a scream of some animal that I had never heard before. Just as the executioner was about to try again the roar sounded once more, though this time much closer. I thought I saw something flying beyond the top of the tower, though I couldn't believe it. One of the soldiers protested, looking to the sky.

"That's no animal I've seen before," he said, fearful.

"Nonsense! It's just a bird! Continue the execution. Any last words Ulfric Stormcloak?" I couldn't see his expression, but I could tell that he was smiling.

"For Skyrim and the freedom of her people," he stated without a trace of fear as the blade of the axe caught the sun on its polished surface. Suddenly a great impact shook the courtyard and the axe fell to the ground, it's owner crushed under a pile of rubble. The debris had come from the top of the tower, where something straight out of a legend sat waiting. A black dragon gripped the battlements, its great tail lashing back and forth.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The dragon destroyed houses with ease, and opened its jaws pointed straight at me. Flames came from its gaping maw, but before them had come noises that sounded, as crazy as it was, like words. I had no time to reflect as fireballs rained down upon Helgen. I never closed my eyes though, watching every scene that I knew would be burned into my memory. An Imperial soldier ran up to me and started unlocking my chains, while I looked on with confusion.

"Come on, lets get to the Keep!" I heard him shout over the chaos, and I had no choice but to follow him as we threaded through the rubble. Once the doors were locked and barred behind us the soldier turned to look at me, the slightest hint of fear in his eyes.

"You, prisoner-"

"It's Gwen, soldier," I said spitefully. He may have saved my life, but only a few minutes ago he had been ready to take it. I would not trust him so easily just because of a good deed in the face of death.

"Gwen then. Search through the chest, there should be some armor," he said, seemingly oblivious to my comment. I did as he asked, albeit a bit warily. The iron armor was heavy, and it chafed like I couldn't believe. Still, it was better than nothing. There was a two handed greatsword on the wall next to me, which I hefted with ease. I don't know where the strength came from, but I'm glad it was there. The soldier was speaking again, and I could tell he was a commanding officer by the look of his armor.

"There's a passage leading out of here. Once we get into Skyrim we will have to part ways. I need to report this back to my superiors." I nodded, just grateful that I was away from that horrible hell of death and meteors. We happened across a few stragglers on our way through the cave, who for some unfathomable reason wanted to fight us. It wasn't the first time I had killed, but I will never forget the look of utter hopelessness on a man about to die.

There was an incident with a cave bear, which I decided to quietly sneak past as opposed to taking it head on. It turned out to be a good idea, as I heard someone who had been following us torn to pieces by the angry creature. After that we soon reached the exit, and I stepped out of the narrow gash in the cliff side taking a deep breath of the refreshingly cool air. It was midday and the sky was clear, no indication of the terrible thing that had happened in Helgen. The Imperial soldier stepped out behind me and looked back, though the rocks obscured anything that we might have seen of the village. He scoffed, and turned to look in my direction.

He was staring at something beyond my right shoulder, and I craned my neck to look behind me. There were ancient stone arches barely visible in the distance, the spiked tops thrusting up to meet the sky as they wound their way up the side of the mountain.

"Looks like we'll be traveling together a bit more Gwen. Unless you don't like the idea of staying in a warm bed again," he said while grinning madly. I grumbled in dissatisfaction and hefted the greatsword, having no choice but to follow. He yammered on about how Riverwood was just up the river, the place where his uncle lived.

"How convenient. A place to rest and a hot meal after taking innocent human lives," I said with a sarcastic cheeriness that even a rock could have picked up on. I tuned out the rest of his talking after that, so much so that I ran into his back. The idiot had stopped right in the middle of the trail. He was looking to his left, at a gathering of three stones. Reaching out he took a few steps forward, placing the palm of his hand on a weathered rock with a carving of a warrior on it.

"The largest gathering of Standing Stones in Skyrim," he whispered reverently. I , on the other hand, didn't see anything special about the rocks. The carvings were cool enough I guessed, and I voiced my doubt to the soldier. Instead of the angry reaction I had expected he simply laughed, turning to face me again.

"These aren't ordinary stones. There are many scattered throughout Skyrim. Each one gives a blessing for a certain amount of time. Take these three for instance. The Mage helps you to boost your Magicka and spells. The Thief allows you to slip through the night as if you were a shadow. And the Warrior gives you a proficiency in all weapons, as well as the stamina that you need to wield them. Try it for yourself," he pat the stone fondly. I was skeptical, but reluctantly put my hand on the stone he called the Warrior. Immediately I saw a light spiral around me, and the sword on my back seemed to grow lighter.

"Let's go," I brushed past the soldier and started down the steep climb. I didn't want to admit it, but the stone had actually worked. I made a mental note of it as we clambered down the barely passable excuse for a trail.

"Bleak Falls Barrow. Look Gwen, we're almost there," he pointed to the stone arches that I had seen from the trail.

"Great, your voice was wearing on my last nerve," I rolled my eyes at him. He didn't respond, and for that I was overjoyed. Soon enough we could see the entrance of the town, and he stopped suddenly.

"Hey, what do you think you're doi-" I was cut off by his whispered hush.

"Look, I don't expect you to be grateful. I did try to kill you for something you probably didn't do. But I would be in your debt if you didn't mention that to my aunt and uncle. I'd rather them not know about the jobs I'm forced to do." His eyes pleaded with me, and I was rather taken aback. Nodding my head I started a brisk pace into Riverwood, the soldier scrambling to catch up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Jarl of Whiterun

That night I hardly slept. Dreams of Helgen and the dragon woke me every time I fell asleep. The words before the destruction. Finally I decided I couldn't deal with it anymore, and left the house with my sword and armor. The blacksmith had told me that a city called Whiterun was not far, and I figured I could get there before sunrise. He had asked me if I went that way to deliver the message of the dragon's attack on Helgen. I didn't mind- the walking gave me time to think, and also the chance to test out my blade against the packs of ravenous wolves that constantly attacked.

Every now and then I heard the roar of a dragon. That made me uneasy, and soon I was checking the skies every time it echoed through the valley. On my way I walked past a massive mountain, the top so high that it was among the clouds. In the dim illumination of the moons I thought I saw a building situated on a cliff of the craggy peaks. I shook my head, and concentrated on skirting past the gigantic foothills of what was surely the biggest mountain I had ever seen. Most of my journey took me past the monstrous thing, and I felt a little constricted with it looming so close.

My mind wandered, back to beyond the borders of this frozen country into my own. Why had I gone north, deeper in, rather than going south and out of here. For that I had no answer. Maybe I would take up the soldier's offer to join the Imperial army. I hadn't even bothered to learn his name, but I knew that the Imperial base was in Solitude. Perhaps they would take me home if I proved loyal.

Suddenly the road turned into a bridge, and the shadow of the mountain lessened. There was a seemingly endless plain that stretched out for miles, and spread unbroken across the horizon. The mountains enclosed it on all sides though, ruining the feeling of an open space. In the middle a city on a hill dominated, topped by a castle that towered over everything. The torches burned bright, and I had no trouble navigating the rough and uneven path that snaked its way up to what could only be Whiterun. Passing the stables I tripped, my arm being caught by a man sitting on a cart.

"If you ever need safe travel to the capitals, come see me," he winked slyly. I bristled in distaste, but said nothing as I walked away from the strange man. The guards standing on either side of the great wooden doors didn't attempt to stop me as I slowly pushed open a crack big enough for me to squeeze through. Conveniently opposite the gate stood a sign that proudly declared a modest building as "The Drunken Huntsman". I wouldn't have cared if it were called The Goat Lover. Placing a coin on the bar top I sped for the nearest empty room, falling on it face first. I was so tired I hadn't even bothered taking my armor off, and my sword was haphazardly placed leaning on the wall. Thankfully I had worn myself out so much that no dreams came to me.

When I awoke, it was to sunlight streaming through the window square onto my face. I put a hand up to shield my eyes, green flecked with gold. My short black hair was in worse shape, and I tried combing through it with my fingers. Marginally better I decided, since I didn't have the coin to take a bath. Picking up my sword I thought that taking a walk would be a good idea. As I stepped out of the doors I breathed in the comforting smells of a city; boiled leather, hot iron, sweat, and food all rolled into one. There were sounds of fish mongers, hawkers, and the low hum of many people talking at once. I wandered around for a while, staying on the lowest tier as I adjusted to my surroundings. I passed several guards, but they paid no attention to me. Slowly I gathered up the courage to venture up to the next level, circling a giant tree that seemed to be withered and dead.

"...Ere he ascended to the Nine, Talos was a man! And he said, let me show you the power of Talos! " A fevered voice startled me, and I saw a man standing across the small stream that went through the entire city. He was shouting, probably to be heard over the hustle of the people who passed. He was standing under a statue of some figure with his boot on a small dragon, not one of the Eight that I knew. He continued his religious chant or whatever it was, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to him. I felt a little sorry as I climbed the steps to the castle above, and decided to ask him about the statue when I came back. Slowly I walked the covered bridge, pushed open the doors, and strode into the great hall of Whiterun. Dragonsreach it was called, or so I'd heard. It was nearly empty despite the time of day; with only the steward, an armed man, the Jarl, and a child, it was unusually quiet as well.

"Another traveler come to lick my father's boots?" The child questioned sarcastically, his voice echoing in the silent chamber. I paused to shake my head at him and resumed walking. Mindful of the armored man- but no, she was a woman- I stopped on the stair just beneath the throne. "Jarl Balgruuf?" I questioned softly, bowing my head in respect. I did not kneel or curtsy for anyone, especially the lord of a foreign city in a country that I had only arrived in yesterday. "I've brought you word." I said before he could respond. "A dragon has attacked Helgen. An Imperial soldier and I managed to escape, though I don't know about any others." The explanation rushed from my mouth in a tumble. I didn't want to linger on the memories. The Jarl regarded me with an expression that gave nothing of his feelings away. "This is grave indeed. The court wizard will want to hear of this. Go tell him what you told me, and do whatever he says." Balgruuf turned to confer with his steward, clearly done talking to me. I felt my anger rise at the offhand dismissal, but bit my tongue and stalked into the room where the wizard was waiting.

"Ah, there you are. I heard your interesting discussion with the Jarl. You see, I've been studying dragons for quite some time and-"

"Just tell me where to go and what to do. Akatosh knows everyone else does." I cut him off, seething. He looked taken aback, and handed me a roll of paper with some charcoal.

"I may have found evidence that there is something related to the dragons deep within Bleak Falls Barrow. But be careful- the dead walk among those ruins." Turning my back to the wizard I walked out silently, steeling myself for the return journey into that wretched town and what would come after.


End file.
